this is not just an apple

Just some country boys and girls getting down on the farm

2009-05-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

This summer, while I am working in North Carolina, I have the great privilege of staying on a farm just outside of Winston-Salem with Aengus and his family (for those who don't know Aengus is one of the amazing filmmakers I have been working with in LA--see: americanharmonythemovie.com).

When I say farm I don't just mean a house in the sticks either. The property used to be a booming tobacco farm back in the day--until Farmer Bert paid off the land, pulled up the tobacco, and built his own airport (yeah that's right...I have an airport).

This is the main house

This is Farmer Bert's "man cabin" in the woods

(AKA where I will stay when the main house fills up with out-of-towners)

A stone at the base of Man Cabin...

(Farmer Bert definitely knows what's up)

Man Cabin's very own watering hole

Here you can see the farmer's fly ride

(I will have to ask if he has ever gone ghost ridin with that whip)

How have I lived so long without a dinner bell in my life?

the "front yard"

(and my neighbors)

The front yard swimming hole

(great for tadpole hunting)

...sigh...

If you can't tell already, it is one of the most splendid places I have ever had the pleasure of calling home. But by far the most amazing of its features is the Yadkin River--which runs right through the "backyard".

To give you an idea of how big the river is in this photo you can see how teeny Thomas looks on the banks (remember Thomas weighs close to 200lbs)

This is the hangout I set up for myself on day one

(I also made a side table but this picture predates

my architectural expansion)

Morning is my favorite time to be by the water

...all foggy, and with far less bugs

That's me in the stripes with my ugly stick

(that's a fishing pole for all the city slickers reading this)

and Aengus and Phineas with Thomas closer to the banks.

I hope this gives you a good idea of the surreal landscape and the deep settled peace it is capable of instilling. I also hope that many many MANY of you have the opportunity to come visit with me.

much Love,

(I will tell you more about my surrogate summer family in another post because they are far too wonderful for our radical farm to steal their thunder...but I will say I have started a band with their two-year old and I'm pretty sure we are going to make it big so keep your eyes out for the first album from Huckleberry Phineas and the Carpenter Bees)

ROAD TRIP!

2009-04-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

On April 17th I left Los Angeles and began my very own EPIC CROSS COUNTRY ROAD TRIP (to be said in a VERY epic voice) that ended in Advance, North Carolina. In the days before I left I mapped out the coolest road trip schedule in the history of road trip schedules*. But vampire graves and banana museums were no match for America the beautiful. From day 1 the schedule was abandoned and I stopped simply when I could not stop staring at the world on either side of the road. I took eight very relaxed days and finally finished my vehicular mosey to the east coast on the 24th. Below I have included some photos of a few stops along the way...

* I have not seen every road trip schedule ever written, but I am still very certain that mine was the coolest.

Before we can go any further...

I cannot tell you more without introducing my amazing road buddy...

Thomas!

Sunrise / Moapa, NV (Day 2)

San Rafael Swell / Utah

Tree in the Bohanon Backyard / Lenexa, KS

Less fortunate tree in the Bohanon Backyard / Lenexa KS

Cowpens Civil War Battlefield / Cowpens, SC

I re-enacted the Civil War by myself on the Civil War battlefield

(as you can see by my shadow this is how I think the North looked when they won)

Cowpens, SC

By far the most beautiful part of this trip was driving through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee as the sun came up. I have never been so overwhelmed by scenery as I was that morning--in the best of ways. I didn't take any photos but I do have some video footage on my cell phone that I will try and upload sooner than later to share with you all.

Until then,

I send my love.

(Stay tuned for the next entry detailing my newfound farm life)

Bukowski was right OR: How I learned to stop worrying and Love the blog

2009-04-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome,

As you all (hopefully) know I have set out on yet another journey--this time to the exotic far away land of rural North Carolina. Keeping you all updated on my happenings throughout these adventures and accidents has never been easy. But wouldn't you know it, Google had the answer. And so, I will be posting news and photos here in hopes that no matter how far I may roam you will know that you are a part of this life always.

Bukowski wrote:

"this is not just an apple, this is an experience"

No matter how bitter Buk's apple may have left him, I think he was onto something.

In the posts to follow I hope to share my metaphorical apple with you all.

with Love,